


A Golden Morning

by underthenorthstar



Series: The Lion and the Wild [6]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age - All Media Types, Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Morning After, Nightmares, Very very mild mentions of smut, cuteness
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-22
Updated: 2015-03-22
Packaged: 2018-03-19 02:08:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3592296
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/underthenorthstar/pseuds/underthenorthstar
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>The morning after.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Golden Morning

**Author's Note:**

> Jut a little fluff about the morning after Ellyrianna and Cullen's first time.

Ellyrianna wakes slowly, sleep still grasping at her as she struggles to open her eyes. She's very comfortable, lying on her side with her hands tucked under her pillow. There's a lovely warm solid weight pressed up against her back, another one slung across her hip. As she finally gets her eyes open and takes a look at her surroundings, a slow sleepy smile spreads across her face. This is not her room. This is not her bed. And that beautiful weight against her is definitely not a dream.

Memories of last night flood in, and her smile grows. Cullen's gentle but passionate love making, all tender touches and warm kisses and pleasure unlike anything she's ever known. She can feel her body aching wonderfully in all the right places. And she can not forget his declaration of love. That had been the best part. To know this sweet, sweet man loved her was more than she could ever dream of. Her Cullen, her lion, her vhenan. 

Slowly, as not to disturb him, she turns around in his arms. He continues to slumber peacefully, the depths of sleep smoothing his usually furrowed brow. He looks younger, a man undisturbed by the horrors that have plagued him for so many years. She brushes a curl of golden hair gently off his forehead, wishing he could always look like this. She wants to take all his pain away, to fold it in on herself so he does not hurt anymore. If she could, she would do it in a heartbeat. 

Unable to help herself, she leans forward to press a soft kiss to his brow. She smiles when he lets out a sigh, pulling her closer in his sleep. She decides that if she could stay in his arms forever, she would. Safe and solid, protecting and proud. She nestles her head against his chest, his strong heartbeat beating a tattoo in her ear. It soothes her, and she finds her eyes closing once again.

She is almost asleep when she feels him start to twitch. His whole body jerks, a quiet pain-filled moan escaping his lips. She knows immediately he's having a nightmare. She sits up slightly, taking his face between her hands and pressing kisses all over it.

"Wake up, ma vhenan. It is only a dream."

He twitches even harder, face scrunching up in torment.

"No, you will not take her," he groans. "You cannot have her, I won't let you!"

Ellyrianna's heart clenches at his tortured expression. "It's only a dream," she continues to kiss his face. "Wake up, Cullen. I am here, I am safe. Wake up."

He jerks awake violently with a final groan, eyes wide as he sits up. His brow shines with sweat, and his chest heaves as he gasps big lungfuls of air. 

"Are you alright, ma vhenan?" Ellyrianna places a hand on his back, rubbing gentle circles as she tries to comfort him. 

Cullen looks at her as if he has just noticed she's there, a wild expression on his face. 

"Ellyrianna?" He asks tentatively, as if he's still in his nightmare and she's not really real.

Ellyrianna smiles at him reassuringly. "It is me, Cullen. I'm here. We are both safe."

Cullen lets out a soft almost sob and pulls her into his chest. She snuggles against him, whispering quiet words of comfort as he presses his face into her hair. She knows he is reassuring himself, making sure she is real and not a demon from his nightmares. She places a kiss right over his heart, hoping she can convey to him just exactly how much she loves him.

Eventually he settles, breathing evening out and muscles relaxing. She pulls away far enough so she can look up at his face. His amber eyes look down at her mournfully. 

"I apologize," he says softly, tenderly tracing her vallaslin with one hand. "I did not mean to startle you, my love."

Ellyrianna shakes her head. "Do not apologize, Cullen. I know you have bad nightmares. It is alright. I am here for you. Do you want to talk about it?"

Cullen sighs, his eyes glassing over briefly with pain. "There was a demon....you were...there was so much blood..."

"All a dream," Ellyrianna brushes her knuckles lovingly over his stubbled cheek.

"It felt so real," Cullen leans into her touch. "I can't lose you, Ellyrianna. I...I don't think I could survive if I did."

Ellyrianna takes his face between both her hands, a hard blazing look in her eyes. He must know, she's not going anywhere. She couldn't survive without him, either.

"Nothing in this world or any other could take me from you, ma vhenan," she says fiercely. "I love you."

Cullen smiles at her, the pained look in his eyes replaced with one of such tenderness that it makes her heart ache.

"I love you too," he leans forward to kiss her lips gently. 

Ellyrianna smiles against his mouth.  
"Despite the bad dreams, is it still a good morning?"

Cullen chuckles, kissing her nose before pulling back. "It most definitely is." 

He settles himself back against the headboard, pulling Ellyrianna with him. She settles against him, a sigh of contentment leaving her lips. They sit in silence for a while, simply watching the room slowly light up as the sun rises. It's a nice comfortable quiet, just the sound of two hearts beating in unison and low rushes of breath in and out. Ellyrianna thinks she could stay like this forever.

"Let's never leave this room," she says after a while. "Everyone could get along without us, right?"

Cullen lets out a hearty laugh at that. "I wish, my love. I think we'd have an angry mob at the door within hours."

"Josephine would personally drag me away," Ellyrianna concedes, imagining the frazzled look on her friend's face. 

Cullen laughs again, and she revels in the rich hearty sound. His hands begin to stroke over her skin, the callused fingers leaving trails of fire in their wake. 

"You know," Cullen's voice becomes low and husky in her ear, and she gasps when his teeth tug gently on her earlobe. "It is still quite early. We will not be needed in the war room for at least a few hours."

"Mmmmm," Ellyrianna hums, tilting her head so he can suck softly at her neck. "And what did you have in mind, Commander?"

Cullen lets out a growl at the use of his title. "A repeat of last night would be very nice, Inquisitor."

"Well," Ellyrianna bats her lashes at him, turning slightly so she can reach up and card her fingers through his messy blonde curls. "I must do what my Commander asks of me."

Cullen's eyes are dangerously dark. "I ask for all of you, Ellyrianna."

She purrs in satisfaction at his words, climbing up into his lap and putting her mouth to his ear.

"You will always have all of me, ma vhenan."

It's slower this morning, the rush and frenzy of the previous night replaced with an unhurried sweetness that threatens to tear her in two. She clings to Cullen's shoulders, panting against his neck as she rocks in his lap. He anchors her to him with firm hands, her name spilling from his mouth like a sacred chant. She gasps, whines and whimpers, finally falling apart with a quiet sob of his name as he groans out his own release, breath hot against her skin. They slump back into the bed in a perfect mess of sweat and tangled limbs. 

The sun continues to rise, and the birds begin to sing. But it is their time, their quiet, and nothing disturbs them. No thoughts of war, or duties, or fear. Just two bodies, tangled in love, and the glimmering rays of sun of a perfect golden morning.


End file.
